Pretty Pictures

Great looking renderings are less expensive than you may think. When used carefully, they can be an incredibly helpful design tool for working through interior spaces. Below is an image I’m working through with a rendering firm out of Kiev. I’ve used them on a few jobs now and am very happy with both the results and the collaboration.

The project involves renovating an old brick townhouse in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The lower level plan revolves around a reading room, connecting both the living space and the kitchen area. The client understood this idea conceptually, but the rendered image really starts to bring the quality of the space to life.

Up until recently, high-quality interior renderings cost around $1,500 per view. That price range put them out of reach for most residential renovation budgets. Working with this firm from Kiev, we’ve been able to get the cost down to around $200 per view. At that price point, these valuable design tools are kind of a no-brainer.

The renderer typically sends over a low-res draft image for review and comment. We review the images with the client and send back mark-ups. The whole process takes about 5-7 working days, and the firm has always been very responsive to our comments.

Given the tough reality that not all construction projects move beyond the schematic/pricing phase, having these images has been a good way to document our design work, even if the project gets put on hold.

For those who don’t look at 2D plans all day, it’s sometimes challenging to imagine the finished space based solely off of the floor plans. With these renderings, we’re able to study material palates and furniture layouts in terms that any home-owner can visually understand.